Vagus Nerve Stimulation: The Big Breakthrough | The Well

Has the online chatter about vagus nerve stimulation peaked your interest? If so, you’re in luck! The Well’s editor-in-chief Julie Shapiro has direct access to the experts who uncovered the nerve’s ability to regulate inflammation, including the CEO of Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research, Dr. Kevin Tracey. In this video, Dr. Tracey breaks down how vagus nerve stimulation—using both implants and external devices—has been a game changer for treating conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Julie also meets with a number of Feinstein’s other experts to talk about how the vagus nerve functions and the reasons the treatment is so effective. And yes, she gets her vagus nerve stimulated along the way. 0:00 Intro: Julie keeps hearing about the vagus nerve 0:44 Meet Dr. Kevin Tracey, a vagus nerve expert 0:54 About the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research 1:11 Feinstein’s vagus nerve breakthrough 1:38 How does it feel to help patients? 2:20 What is the vagus nerve? 2:44 The vagus nerve & rheumatoid arthritis 3:20 How a vagus nerve stimulation device works 3:32 Feinstein’s research into the vagus nerve 4:41 Ear devices: Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation 5:09 How an ear-stimulation device works 6:17 Researching the nervous system 6:57 Implants for researching nerve reactions 7:27 Can nerve implants replace drugs? 7:37 The next challenge: Convincing clinicians to prescribe 7:56 Neurons & cancer cells, visualized 8:11 Could the device work through the ear? 8:29 How a miniature microscope analyzes the brain 9:11 What a vagus nerve looks like 9:46 “Tiny wires”: Vagus nerve anatomy 10:01 The importance of personalizing vagus nerve treatment 10:21 How do you map the vagus nerve? 11:47 Vagus nerve treatment: Noninvasive methods 12:10 How a focused ultrasound works 13:08 Stimulating the spleen 13:38 Treating inflammation: What’s next? 14:32 Outro The Well - https://thewell.northwell.edu/ The Well TikTok -   / what.thewell   The Well Instagram -   / thewellbynorthwell   Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 87,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu Interested in a career at Northwell Health? Visit Jobs.Northwell.edu and explore our many opportunities.